Ricoh GR vs Sony A7 II

Cameras
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Ricoh GR vs Sony A7 II

APS-C 369.7mm²
16.2 megapixels
28.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Ricoh GR Review.
See real-world photos taken with the GR.

35mm 855.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7 II Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7 II.
Compare Sony A7 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7 II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Ricoh GR II
Compare GR vs GR II

Succeeded by the Sony A7 III
Compare A7 II vs A7 III

Compare RICOH GR II vs SONY A7 III

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Differences

Ricoh GR advantages over Sony A7 II

Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Integrated ND filter
Yes vs No
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Thinner
34 mm vs 59 mm
Thinner
Higher max flash sync
1/4000 vs 1/250 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Longer exposure
300 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 52 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
6.1 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

Sony A7 II advantages over Ricoh GR

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
35mm vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Eye-level viewfinder
Eye-level vs Rear display only
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Bigger pixels
~ 5.97 vs 4.81 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7 II test data on DxO Mark GR test data on DxO Mark

2,449 vs 972 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

350 vs 290 shots
Capture more photos
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
More pixels
24.3 vs 16.2 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Faster JPEG shooting
5.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
28 vs 4 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read GR User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 II User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

The most compact APS-C camera on the market; Bright, sharp 28mm f/2.8 prime lens with almost no distortion; Excellent image quality; Extremely customizable; Fast autofocus; Strong built-in flash plus hot shoe.
Fixed prime lens is not for everybody; Crowded and small controls; Burst performance is limited; Muted colors and cool white balance; Has issues with moire and false color.
Read our Ricoh GR Review

Excellent 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization; Sensor-shift IS brings stabilization to nearly any lens; Much-improved ergonomics and top-deck control layout; 'Mark II' maintains same impressive image quality, dynamic range and high ISO performance; XAVC S 50Mbps video format; Faster start-up time; Hybrid AF performs well with good continuous AF.
(Similar to A7): Loud shutter (but electronic first-curtain helps); Battery life could be better; Low-light AF still not as good as most DSLRs; High ISO JPEGs look over-processed; Slow buffer clearing; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses (but it's getting better).
Read our Sony A7 II Review

The Competition

Compared to Nikon Coolpix A

Ricoh GR

Nikon Coolpix A

$799
APS-C

Less expensive
Longer stills battery life

$1097
APS-C

Higher effective ISO
Bigger RAW buffer

Compare Ricoh GR vs Nikon Coolpix A

Sony A7 II

Nikon Coolpix A

$1148
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$1097
APS-C

Internal flash
Thinner

Compare Sony A7 II vs Nikon Coolpix A

Compared to Sony A7

Ricoh GR

Sony A7

$799
APS-C

Fast startup
Internal flash

$748
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Ricoh GR vs Sony A7

Sony A7 II

Sony A7

$1148
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

$748
35mm

Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 II vs Sony A7

Compared to Ricoh GR II

Ricoh GR

Ricoh GR II

$799
APS-C

$538
APS-C

Built-in Wi-Fi
NFC

Compare Ricoh GR vs Ricoh GR II

Sony A7 II

Ricoh GR II

$1148
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$538
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 II vs Ricoh GR II

Compared to Fujifilm X70

Ricoh GR

Fujifilm X70

$799
APS-C

Integrated ND filter
Higher max flash sync

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
Touchscreen

Compare Ricoh GR vs Fujifilm X70

Sony A7 II

Fujifilm X70

$1148
35mm

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$699
APS-C

Less expensive
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7 II vs Fujifilm X70

Compared to Sony A7 III

Ricoh GR

Sony A7 III

$799
APS-C

Internal flash
Integrated ND filter

$1865
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Ricoh GR vs Sony A7 III

Sony A7 II

Sony A7 III

$1148
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$1865
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7 II vs Sony A7 III

Compare Other Cameras?